Fastener-inserting machine



0a. 18, 1932. T.VE. GRIMES' 1,883,368

FASTENER INSERTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 15, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l 8M a w Oct. 18; 1932. T. E. GRIMES 1,883,368

FASTENER INSERTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 15. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 18, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS E. GRIMES, 0F WESTMOUNT, QUEBEC, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATER-SON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION. OF NEW JERSEY FASTENER-INSERTING MACHINE Application filed August 13, 1931. Serial No. 556,799.

This invention relates tofastener-inserting machines. While the invention is not limited to embodiment in machines adapted to insert two-part fasteners, such as telescopic eyelets, in boot and shoe uppers, the invention is herein described with special reference to such work and is illustrated as embodied in a well-known type of machine used extensively for inserting telescopic eyelets, the illustrated machine being of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No.

1,371,364, granted March 15, 1921, on application of S. L. Gookin, reference being had.

to United States Letters Patent No. 1,296,- 014, granted March 4, 1919, on application of Walter Shaw for a more complete showing and description of various parts of the machine not fully set forth in Letters Patent No. 1, 371,864.

One of the problems relating to telescopic eyeleting, with which the present invention is concerned, requiresconsideration of certain conditions pertaining to the step-bystep feeding of the work by which successive fasteners are spaced one from another.

Certain types of shoes, notably those dc signed for basket-ball players, are commonly provided with two-part fasteners such as telescopic eyelets. The latter are inserted into the uppers before the uppers are placed on lasts but after all the component parts of the uppers have been united and stitched. In running such an upper through a machine such, for example, as that shown in the aforesaid Letters Patent No. 1,371,364, it is neces sary not only to operate on the two quarters one at a time but also to invert the upper and reverse it end for end for operation on the second quarter. Consequently, although the last eyelet to be inserted into a left-hand quarter will be at the top of the upper, the last eyelet to be inserted into a right-hand quarter will. be near the throat of the vamp. Stated otherwise, the progression pertaining to a left-hand quarter is from the throat of the vamp toward the top, whereas the pro? gression pertaining to a right-hand quarter is from the top toward the threat.

The problem above mentioned is sometimes encountered when the progression is from the top of an upper toward the throat, and then only in the final cycle. In the use of a machine of the type referred to, the throat of the vamp may, in the final cycle, encounter a small fixed work-support and a presserfoot situated at the feeding-in side of the locality where the fasteners are inserted. The quarter ill'OPBIZLtlOIl is clamped lightly though continuously on the upper surface of the work-support, while the other quarter, which lies below the work-support, must be maln-v tained in a distorted condition by the operator to keep it out oflthe field of action of the punching tools and the fastener-inserting tools. Incidentally, the throat of the vamp is folded and may, in consequence of faulty manipulation, catch the work-support if and when the final eyelet lies close to the throat. Thus, if the throat becomes caught on the work-support it may obstruct the final feeding step of the upper.

With a view to relieving the operator from special effort to avoid such an obstruction,

an 'object'of the present invention is to provide an improved construction that will ren' der the obstruction harmless if and when the obstructing conditions occur.

' To this end a feature of the invention con sists in a novel combination comprising fastener-inserting mechanism, mechanism arranged to feed the work step by step to space successive fasteners one from another, and a work-supporting member arranged adjacent to, and at the feeding-in side of the fastenerinserting locality, the work-supporting member being normally stationary but movable by the work in the direction of the feeding movement thereof.

The presserfoot of the illustrated machine clamps the work against the work-supporting member with a pressure not so great as to interfere with the feeding of the work but over, since movement of the work-supporting member is not advantageous except to avoid obstruction as above set forth, the illustrated construction of the means for mounting the work-supporting member is such as to utilize the clamping pressure of the presserfoot to constrain it against moving with the work unless and until the demands of the work require the movement. Accordingly, in the specific form illustrated, the work-supporting member is mounted on a fixture to which it is connected by a pivot the axis of which is parallel to but offset from the lines of clamping force exerted by the presserfoot. Consequently, the pressure of the presserfoot against the work-supporting member will maintain a cramped condition of the pivotally connected members that requires a correspondingly great force to displace the worksupporting member from its initial position. Under normal conditions, therefore, the worlesupporting member will remain in cooperative relation to the presserfoot but its constraint will never be so great as to ob struct feeding movement of the work.

The illustrated machine also comprises automatic means by which the work-support will be returned to its initial position before the beginning of the next cycle after that inwhich it is displaced therefrom.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a well-known type of duplex eyeleting machine modified to insert telescopic eyelets in the i manner illustrated and described in said Letters Patent No. 1,371,364;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view including the punching tools, the fastener-inserting tools and a portion of a double-track raceway for supplying the component parts of telescopic eyelets;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view, partly in section, of a portion of the machine including the improved work-support hereinafter described;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are vertical sections through the punching tools and the fastener-inserting tools, Fig. 4 showing the parts in their initial positions, Fig. 5 showing the punching tools in the act of punching a hole for 1 the reception of the component parts of a telescopic eyelet, and Fig. 6 showing the fastener-inserting tools about to insert the component parts of a telescopic eyelet in the hole punched for their reception;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on a larger scale showing the fastener-inserting tools in the act of completing the insertion and clenching of the component parts of a telescopic eyelet;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view including a portion of a shoe-upper and those elements of the machine by which it is supported, clamped and guided in its passage through the machine. This figure illustrates the relation in which the elements stand at the beginning of afinal cycle of a series of cycles;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but omitting the shoe-upper and showing the movable -worlr-support as having been displaced from its normal position by the throat of an upper; and

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section through the movable work-support and the fixture to which it is movably connected.

The shoe-upper 12 represented in Fig. 8 is of a type that presents a problem for which the present invention provides a solution. An upper of this type is commonly used for shoes intended for athletic purposes, for example, the game of basket-ball. Because of the severe strains to which shoes of this type are subjected, the more common one-piece eyelets do not retain their hold on the upper with sufi'icient strength to insure permanent security, and for this reason it is the practice to provide such shoes with telescopic eyelets of the character shown and described in the above-mentioned Letters Patent No. 1,371,364. Machines for inserting such eyelets are provided with mechanism for feeding the work step by step from right to left whereby successive eyelets are spaced one from another. Under these conditions, when inserting eyelets in the left-hand quarter 14 of a shoe-upper, it is necessary to place the upper so that the throat 16 thereof will lie at the left of the fastener-inserting locality. Consequently, the throat 16 will progress away from the fastener-inserting locality without encountering any obstruction.

On the other hand, when operating on a right-hand quarter 18, it is necessary not only to invert the upper 12 but also to reverse it end for end thereby placing the throat 16 at the right of the fastener-inserting locality. Consequently, the throat will progress toward the fastener-inserting locality. Under these conditions, during the final cycle of a series, the throat 16 will encounter a worksupport 22 situated at the feeding-in side (the right) of the fastener-inserting locality. In Fig. 8 the quarter 14 is represented as distorted to maintain it out of the field of operation of the punching tools and the fastener-inserting tools.

In a machine organized to operate as here inafter described, the punching of the holes, the inserting of the eyelets, and the feeding of the work occur successively in the order just stated. Consequently, after the last eye let of a series has been inserted and clenched the work is fed one step from right to left before the machine can be stopped. This final step of feeding movement, when the final eyelet of a series is located adjacent to the throat 16 as when operating on a righthand quarter, creates the problem for which the present invention provides a solution.

When the upper 12 is in position to receive eyelets, the quarter in operation lies on the upper surface of a work-support 22 ing movement of the work when encountered by a throat 16. On the other hand, the presserfoot 24 is fixed against lateral movement. The guiding edge of the quarter in operation is guided by a stationary edge-gage'28. Assuming that the right-handquarterjlil is the one in operation and that it lies between the work-support 22 and the presserfoot 24 as shown in Fig. 8, the left-hand quarter 14 will lie beneath it. The junction of the two quarters at the throat 16 is in the form of a fold which, because of the several component layers of material of which the upper is made, is too thick to pass readily between the work-support and the presserfoot during the final step of feeding movement, al-

though operators can, by guiding the lefthand quarter over the work-support and by forcing the folded throat 16 manually between the work-support and the presserfoot overcome to some extent this obstruction to the final step of feeding movement. Still, unless an operator exercises great care to this end at the critical stage in the progress of the work, the left-hand quarter 14 may run under the work-support'22 with the resuit that the latter will project between quarters and will be encountered by the fold at the throat 1% In former machines for inserting telescopic "i eyelets, the pp ponding to the support 22 has been stationary and has therefore constituted a positive obstacle to the final step of feeding movement whenoperating on a right-hand quarter whenever the opj erator, for one reason or another, failed at the critical moment to guide the left-handqu'an ter 14 between the work-support and the presserfoot. The result in such cases of failure has been that the upper has been damaged during the final feeding step, the

form of the damage being either a splittingof the throat 16 or a tearing of the material between the final eyelet and the one next preceding it.

To overcome the difiiculty above explained, the work-support 22, according to the present invention, is mounted so that it may yield to any abnormally greatdragging effect of the work if and when it is encoun ered, for example,"by a folded throat 1G or some other formation that will not readily p I as between it and the presserfoot. In fact, this movability of the work-support 22 relieves the op erator from the necessity of making any efiort whatever to guide a left-hand quarter 14 between the work-support and the presserfoot,

since even if the work-support projects be-' tween the quarters during the final step of feeding movement, it will nevertheless p ermit the throat 16 to move to the left as far as may be necessary without doing any damage to the work or sustaining any damage therefrom.

As herein illustrated, the movable worksupport 22 is in the form of a finger. The rear end of this member is relatively broad and flat and is arranged in lapped relation to a complementally formed portion of a fixture 30 to which it is connected by a pivot member 32, for example, a rivet as shown in Fig. 10. The two members thus connected are preferably held one against the other withmoderate clamping pressure by the pivot member 82 to the end that the friction thus maintained will be superior to the frictional drag of the work on the work-support. By this means the work-support will be maintained in a predetermined initial position in cooperative relation to the presserfoot until some force greater than the fictional drag of the work displaces it. A shoulder 31 formed on the member 22 is arranged to abut a shoulder 33 on the member 30 when the member 22 occupies its initial position as shown in 8, and thus prevent the member 22 from swinging too far to the right.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 8, the axis of the pivot member 32 is behind the path of the work and therefore offset laterally from the lines of clamping force exerted by the presserfoot 24. Moreovensince this axis is parallel to the lines of clamping force, that is, transverse to the plane ofthe work, the force of the presserfoot against the outboard end of the work-support maintains a cramped condition of the parts connected by the pivot member. This cramped condition is advantageous in that it increases the coeficient of friction by which the work-support is normally maintained in its initial positionnotwithstanding the frictional drag of the work thereon.

p The fixture 30 is clamped to the main frame 34 of the machine by a. clamping plate 36 (Fig. 3) and two screws 38. Moreover, to provide for adjustin the work-support 22 to the front and to the rear, the fixture 30 is provided with slots 40 through which the screws 38 extend. Rigidity of the fixture 30 is insured by a tongue-and-groove connection with the frame 34, a tongue 42 being formed on the frame and a groove 44 being formed on the member 30. Rack-teeth 46 are preferably formed on the member 30 to be engaged by the teeth of a gear-segment 48 with which machines of this type are commonly provided to effect such adjustments when the clamping screws 38 are relaxed.

The edge-gage 28 is represented as a portion of a block 50 afixed to the member 30 by a screw 52. This block also provides anchorage for the leaf-spring 26 that carries the presserfoot 24, the spring being 'aiiixed to the block by screws 54. i

The mechanism for inserting the eyelets,

ifs

the mechanism for punching holes for the reception of the eyelets, and the mechanism for feeding the work, so far as they are illustrated herein, are similar-to the correspond ing mechanisms illustrated and described in the aforesaid Letters Patent No. 1,296,014 except as modified in accordance with the disclosure in said Letters Patent No. 1,871,364. The component parts and 21 of the telescopic eyelets are supplied by a hopper 56 (Fig. 1) from which they are conducted by a two-track raceway comprising a track 58 for eyelets 21 having barrels of larger diameter and a track 60 for eyelets 20 having barrels of smaller diameter. The track 58 delivers the larger eyelets to a lower inserting tool 62, while the track 60, delivers the smaller eyelets to an upper inserting tool 64. These tools are arranged in coaxial relation to each other and are carried respectively by plungers 66 and 68 arranged to slide in guiding bosses 70 formed on a movable head or frame 72. This head is carried by a bell-crank lever 74 to which it is connected by a pivot member 76, see Fig. 3.

The lever 74 is connected to the main frame 34 by a fulcrum pin 78 and is provided with a cam roll that cooperates with a groove-cam 80 mounted on a cam-shaft 82. The camshaft is operated by a suitable starting and stopping mechanism such, for example, as that shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 984,066, granted September 14, 1909, on application of George Goddu. At the proper time in each cycle of operations the cam 80 is effective to operate the lever 74 and thereby shift the movable head 72 from front to rear for the purpose of placing the fastener-inserting tools 62 and 64 in register with a hole 84 that has been punched in the work for the reception of the component parts of a telescopic eyelet, see Fig. 6.

The guiding bosses 70 of the movable head or frame 72 are also provided with bearings for two cooperative plungers 86, the upper one of which carries a punch-bed 88 and the lower one of'which carries a tubular punching tool 90, see Figs. 4 and 5. The upper punching plunger 86 and the upper fastener-inserting plunger 68 are operated alternately, one by a. striker 92 and the other by a striker 94 both carried by a hammerlever 96. A similar lever (not shown) is likewise provided with corresponding .strik ers for operating the lower punching plunger 86 and the lower fastener-inserting plunger 66. The two punching plungers 86 are normally retracted from each other by a tension spring 98 connecting two levers, one

7 of which is indicated at 100 in F ig. 2. The

forward ends of these levers are connected to the two plungers 86. In like manner the two fastener-inserting plungers 66 and 68 are normally retracted by a tension spring 102 and levers 104. The two operating levers 96 are operated by a cam not shown but mounted on the shaft 82. Moreover, at the proper time in each cycle the raceway is operated to present the component parts of a telescopic eyelet to the fastener-inserting tools and is immediately retracted to clear the tools. For this purpose the raceway is mounted to oscillate about an axis coincident with the center of the hopper 56 and is connected to an operating lever 106 through the medium of a link 108.

Step-by-step feeding movements are imparted to the work by the fastener-inserting tools as a result of swinging the frame or head 72 (Fig 3) about the axis of the pivot member 76. The mechanism for furnishing this motion is shown in Fig. 1 and comprises a groove-cam 110 carried by the shaft 82, a cam-lever 112 connected to the main frame 34 by a fulcrum stud 114, and links 116, 118, one of which is pivotally connected to the lever 112 and the other pivotally connected to the movable frame 72 by a pivot pin 120. The connection between the links 116 and 118 includes means by which the length of the feeding steps may be regulated, but for the purpose of explaining the present invention no further description of the regulating means will be necessary.

Since, for the purpose of cooperating with the presserfoot 24, the work-support 22 should stand in register therewith as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 8 it is desirable to provide means for automatically returning the work support to that position immediately after each displacement thereof. Accordingly, to this end the movable head or frame 72 is provided with a finger 122 that lies in the same plane as the work-support and at the lefthand side thereof where, in its initial position, it underlies the edge-gage 28. Referring to Fig. 9 the broken line 124 represents the approximately triangular path of movement described by the corner 126 of the finger 122 in consequence of compounding the motions received from the two cams 80 and 110. The corner 126 stands initially at the point 128. Consequently, whenever the work-support 22 has been displaced to the position shown in Fig. 9 it will be immediately returned to its initial position by the finger 122 as the corner 126 thereof moves from the position shown in that figure to its initial position at the point 128. Moreover, to avoid obstructing the operation of the punch 90 the fin er 122 is provided with a hole 130 through which the punch may be projected as shown in Fig. 5.

As hereinbefore explained, the work-support 22 does not constitute any obstruction to feeding movement of the work when the lefthand quarter of a shoe-upper is in operation nor does it constitute any obstruction when the right-hand quarter is in operation except figure. During the first stages of the cycle the when, during the final cycle, it is encountered by the folded throat 16. Accordingly, .a description of the final cycle, when the righthand quarter is in operation, will explain the essence of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 8 the eyeleting of the right-hand quarter has progressed to a point corresponding to the beginning of thefinal cycle, the work-support 22 and the finger 122 being shown in their initial positionsin this hammer levers 96 first operate the punch-bed 88 and the tubular punch 86 to punch a hole 84 in the work as shown in Fig. 5, the punch 90 being projected through the hole 130 in the finger 122 and being immediately retracted to its initial position as soon as the hole has been punched. The cam now operates the bell-crank lever 74 to shift thefastenerinserting tools 62 and 64 into register with the hole just punched in the work, whereupon the hammer-levers 96 are again operated; At this stage, the fastener-inserting plungers 66 and 68 are in register with the strikers 94.but the punching plungers are out of register with their strikers 92. Immediately prior to the operation of the fastener-inserting plungers 66 and 68, the raceway is operated to present the component parts 20 and 21 of a telescopic eyelet to the inserting tools so that while the spring-pressed spindle 132 of the upper tool is entering an eyelet 20 in the eyelet track 60 the pilot 134 of the lower tool will enter an eyelet 21 in the track 58, see Fig. 6. Now, the delivery end of the raceway will be retracted to clear the inserting tools and the latter will continue to move toward each other, the barrel of the eyelet 20 being thereby transferred to the pilot 134 which guides it into the barrel of the eyelet 21 and guides both barrels into the hole 84 previously punched for their reception.

The lower inserting tool 62 is provided with an annular upsetting surface by which the lower end of the barrel of the eyelet 20 is turned back and clenched against the flange end of the eyelet 21 with a roll clench as illustrated in Fig. 7. The barrel of the eyelet 21 is also turned outwardly and clenched by the flange of the eyelet 20. i

The inserting tools 62 and 64 remain in the relation shown in Fig. 7 for a period of time during which, for the purpose of feeding the work, they are moved from right to left, and although the final step of feeding movement is not required by the work it is an unavoidable consequence of providing the machine with the described mechanism for feeding the work during the precedingcycles to space successive fasteners one from an other. Consequently, the work receives its final step of feeding movement after the last eyelet has been inserted and clenched, this final step being incidental to returning the several mechanisms of the machine to their initial positions for the beginning of the first cycle in the next succeeding series of operations.

As shown in Fig. 8, the folded throat 116 of the upper is nearly, if not quite, in contact with the righthand edge of the work-support 22, the final step of feeding movement having not yet begun. It is apparent, however, that as soon as the final step of feeding movement begins, the folded throat will encounter the worlesupport 22 and that the work-support must yield to the left to avoid obstructing the movement of the work. The pivot member 32 by which the work-support 22 is connected and clamped to the fixture 30 permits the work-support to yield to the demands of the folded throat 16 during the final step of feeding movement. Consequently, the worksupport may be displaced to the position shown in Fig. 9. At the sametime, the finger 122, now moving with the work, runs ahead of the work-support 22, but during the last stage of the final cycle, that is, after the setting tools 62 and 64 have released the work, the finger 122 returns to its initial position, thereby restoring the work-support 22 to its initial position under and in register with the presserfoot 24.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A fastener-inserting machine'comprising mechanism arranged to insert fasteners, mechanism arranged to feed the work step by step to space successive fasteners one from another, and a worksupporting member arranged'at the feeding-in side of the fastenerinserting mechanism, said member being normally stationary but movable by the work in the direction of the feeding movement thereof. 2. A fastener-inserting machine comprising mechanism arranged to insert fasteners, mechanism arranged to feed the work step by step to space successive fasteners one from another, a work-supporting member arranged at the feeding-in side of the point where the fasteners are inserted, said member being movable by the work in the direction of the feeding movement thereof, and means arranged to return said member to a predetermined initial position after each movement of the member in said direction.

3. A fastener-inserting machine comprising mechanism arranged to insert fasteners, mechanism arranged to feed the work step by step to space successive fasteners one from another, a movable work-supporting member, and means by which said member is normally maintained at a certain predetermined initial position at the feeding-in side of the fastener-inserting locality butv by which the member is permitted to move in the direction of the feeding movement of the work when the latter exerts an abnormally great dragging effect thereon.

4. In a fastener-inserting machine, a combination comprising fastener-inserting mechanism, mechanism arranged to feed a wor piece step by tep to space successive fasteners one from another, and a work-supporting member and a presserfoot arranged to clamp the work-piece'adjacent to, and at the feed ing-in side of, the fastener-inserting locality, said work-supporting member being normally stationary but movable by the work-piece in the direction of the feedin movement thereof.

5. A fastener-inserting machine comprising mechanism arranged to insert fasteners, mechanism arranged to feed the work step by step to space successive fasteners one from another, and a pivotally mounted work-supporting member arranged at the feeding-in side of the fastener-inserting locality, said member being normally stationary but movable with respect to its pivotal mounting in the direction of the feeding movement in consequence of an abnormally great dragging effect of the work thereon.

6. In a fastener-inserting machine, a combination comprising fastener-inserting mechanism, mechanism arranged to feed a workpiece step by step to space successive fasteners one from another, and a work-supporting member and a presserfoot arranged to clamp the work-piece adjacent to, and at the feeding-in side of, the fastener-inserting locality, said presserfoot being fixed against movement in the direction of feeding movement of the work, and said work-supporting member being normally stationary but movable in said direction in response to an abnormally great dragging efiect of the work.

7. In a fastener-inserting machine, a combination comprising fastener-inserting mechanism, mechanism arranged to feed a workpiece step by step to space successive fasteners one from another, a work-supporting member arranged adjacent to, and at the feeding-in side of, the fastener-inserting locality, and fixed means to which said member is connected by a pivot the axis of which is behind the path of the work and transverse to the plane of the work.

8. In a fastener-inserting machine, a combination comprising fastener-inserting mechanism, mechanism arranged to feed a Workpiece step by step to space successive fasteners one from another, a work-supporting member arranged adjacent to, and at the feedingin side of, the fastener-inserting locality, a presserfoot arranged to cooperate with said member to clamp the workpiece, and fixed means to which said member is connected by a pivot the axis of which is parallel to, but offset laterally from, the lines of clamping force exerted by the presserfoot, whereby said force maintains a cramped condition of the pivotally connected members, which condition requires a correspondingly great force to move the work-supporting member about said axis.

9. In a fastener-inserting machine, a combination comprising fastener-inserting mechanism, mechanism arranged to feed a Workpiece step by step to space successive fasteners one from another, a work-supporting member arranged adjacent to, and at the feeding-in side of, the fastener-inserting locality, and fixed means against which said member is clamped with moderate pressure by a pivot connecting them, the axis of said pivot being behind the path of the work and transverse to the plane of the work.

10. In a fastener-inserting machine, a com- .bination comprising a movable frame provided with fastener-inserting tools, mechanism by which said frame is reciprocated to feed a work-piece step by step, a work-supporting member arranged adjacent to, and at the feeding-in side of, the fastener-inserting locality, said member being normally stationary but movable by the work in the direction of the feeding movement thereof, and means carried by said movable frame to re turn said member to an initial position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS E. GRIMES. 

